WhatsApp and Facebook - Change?

Facebook has bought the messaging service WhatsApp. This message beginning of the year is omitted due to the many reports and messages in the news hardly anyone. But what does this have consequences? Has this fact any consequences?

Whether a change of WhatsApp Messenger to another is useful in the past few months is still a hotly debated topic. Two clear fronts are emerging from all over the tumult:

There are even those who have had enough of Facebook's data collections and want to change the message service and those who do not see the reason to change, possibly even see it as an unnecessary "hype" and think that Facebook already has all the data anyway.

I do not want to explain both points of view and weigh the pros and cons here. But I desire to draw you closer to my opinion, argue and justify why a change could be perhaps considered. Well, I'll gladly respect to some statements that I've picked up in recent months.

1) Facebook has all data anyway

No, Facebook does not have! Sure, it may be that all data and phone book entries are stolen by the Facebook app on smartphones. Anything can be. This could then really any app. Of which in my opinion is not to be expected.

If I react so extremely sensitive to privacy, I can not dwell on the Internet, because I continuously leave traces there and I should certainly not install a free app. There is a saying: "If you download free, you pay with your data."
Accordingly, Facebook has "only" all the data that I send directly to Facebook, such as posts, images, videos, etc. Likes

2) WhatsApp has also previously stored all data, where is the problem now?

Here you could also say that the data may (or may not) have been used before the takeover, but then we are back to my arguments in point 1).
It is and it was clear that WhatsApp is certainly not the most secure form of communication. Yet now there is Facebook, where "privacy" is not particularly notice what is putting it mildly. If you read the data usage guidelines there, you will find out that it you transfer a lot of data to the company and that the information may also be used. These data here are limited to all interactions on Facebook directly, not private messages via a news service such as WhatsApp. Secret or very private messages you should of course always present in person or by choosing a different path as social networks, etc.

Personally, I rarely post on Facebook and keep in touch with other mainly via another news service, because it seems to me privately. If this company so now receives all information and all telephone numbers within this communication traffic, then I feel personally more glass than it does already is.

3) Who cares what kind of messages I write? I do not care, they can quietly read.

For sure? There is no question that you will immediately arrested at the words "bomb threat" and "terror", because you present a potential danger. But it is more about data, your personal data, the business with your data and advertising. Sure you could be spied in this sense. This could be theoretically anywhere if you are connected to the Internet. Who can be safely there today.

In my opinion we should all be more careful and more conscious especially with our data. As I said it is not mainly about the messages, but also the whole phonebook entries and later the link to Facebook profiles and other information from the huge data collection. Everyone would be then quite open. It must be aware of each that every little action on Facebook will be recorded and put together like a puzzle piece to a gigantic puzzle of you – and the puzzle are you in your life. Would you present a total stranger your entire life as an open book? And then also still allow that these people earn money with the information by selling your data?

4) What avail is a new service such as Threema when none of my friends is there? All just have WhatsApp.

Yes, that's right. A news service without contacts with whom you can communicate, really does not help, I completely agree. But if everybody thinks so, never gaining a better alternative maybe this popularity. The most important is the first step, the first step to embark on a new service. Why not try an alternative and run parallel? Mostly wins the convenience, because so everything goes on without problems. Many people probably do not even realize what it means when these two "Giants" are controlled by Facebook. The goal of Facebook is to network the entire world. This thought makes me personally really scared. Of course we lose anyway a lot of data when we surf on the internet, but why should not I may set a limit. Up to this point and no further.

5) If you uninstalled WhatsApp, you must consequently disable your account on Facebook

In my opinion, this is not inconsistent. For me these are two different things that I transgress against different. For me there was always a limit between what I write on Facebook that it was private or public, and what I write with a news service such as WhatsApp. Because I send more messages with WhatsApp, it feels after the takeover like I "lose" now even more data. It has indeed a reason why I have not previously also communicates exclusively via Facebook, and the reason is not that there are nicer icons. With the Facebook Messenger, the company wanted to achieve a high status and popularity like WhatsApp, but what could not be achieved. And this provides similar functionality like WhatsApp (Chat, photos, video, emoticons, etc.). Why this was not used of the crowd instead? I suspect, as many of you are more familiar with WhatsApp than with the Facebook Messenger. The argument that everyone has WhatsApp, here loses its validity because even more people on Facebook are registered.

Another basis for discussion gives the fact, when a person publicly reveal his whole life on Facebook and then on the other side thinks that WhatsApp is no longer safe. This really contradicts itself, but it is not discussed here. Everyone should do what he thinks is right.

The question of why I have not changed beforehand, can also be easily justified. Prior to the acquisition WhatsApp was often in the headlines due to the uncertain data transmission. Anyone who has tried to change at this time, will have noticed that hardly anyone was there and this new messenger is then pretty much worthless, as already described above. But now many have reached a point where they realize that they no longer feel comfortable. And this opportunity I have personally used to switch the messenger finally.

Well, basically everyone has to decide for themselves which message service is selected. I have now set a limit for me and made ​​the decision that I will use this app no longer.